![]() ![]() The LandingZone Dock for 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro is available for $199. It would have been nice if the design and materials were made to match the MacBook, but once you’re docked you can’t see much of the dock anyway. For me, decreasing all the cable clutter in my tight workspace was reason enough to make it a permanent part of my setup. If you do fall in one of those categories, the LandingZone will surely save you a lot of time and effort and is just about the only way to eliminate cable clutter for MacBook users. With a spot for a Kenginston Laptop lock, however, it makes a lot of sense for people that use their MacBook at work or in other public spaces. Not everybody will have multiple pieces of hardware plugged into their MacBook and also frequently want to pick up and take the machine with them. The LandingZone is clearly a bit of a niche product. Putting the MacBook screen down makes accessing the ports on the back easy and you still have one Thunderbolt and USB port available on your MacBook if you want to quickly plug in a camera or hard drive. For those without an audio interface, the company has added a 3.5mm jack for plugging in speakers (the older MacBook Air model didn’t have it and that’s something we complained about in our previous review). I was mainly using the Ethernet port and the USB ports to connect my drives and audio interface, but the HDMI and DisplayPort would obviously come in handy for those with multi monitor setups, and an indicator light on the dock lets you know if your MacBook is on without having to open the lid. There’s also a keyed lock slot that you can use for some added security if you purchase a Kensington laptop lock. You lose one of your USB ports when connecting to the dock, but LandingZone has 5 on the back (three USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0), a gigabit ethernet port, HDMI, 1 Mini DisplayPort, and a headphone jack. Apple doesn’t let accessory makers build the MagSafe connector integrated into their products, but the company has done its best by notching out a groove to let the MagSafe pass through (pictured above). The dock props up your MacBook at a slight angle, which I personally prefer but it’s something that might not be ideal for everyone. After you’re docked, the only cable coming out of the side of your MacBook will be the MagSafe connector for power. Docking the MacBook is super easy and only takes a couple seconds once you get the hang of it, and undocking is as easy as pulling the lever. When you’re ready to undock your MacBook, a small lever at the back expands the dock to disconnect it from your MacBook’s ports. ![]() ![]() You’ll still have access to one USB port, one Thunderbolt port, headphone jack, and the SDXC card slot, but the rest of the ins and outs are used to connect to the dock. After placing your MacBook on the dock, either side slides in to connect to the MacBook’s Thunderbolt, USB, and HDMI ports. ![]()
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